SPEECH Communication Made Simple A Multicultural Perspective ee Paulette Dale and James C. Wolf ENGLISH LANGUAGE RESOURCES SPEAKING SKILLS Second EditionPreface vii Acknowledgments ix Introduction x Chapter 1: Speaking to Develop Self-Confidence Speech 1: Self-Introduction 2 Speech 2: A Personal Experience 6 Speech 3: A Meaningful Object 12 Speech 4: A Specific Fear 15 Pronunciation Tip: Final Consonants 17 Chapter 2: Delivering Your Message 18 Posture Talks 19 Look Them in the Eye 21 Facial Expressions and Gestures 22 Using Visual Aids 24 Are You Asking Me or Telling Me? 25 Discard Those Disclaimers and Apologies 26 Write for the Ear 28 Practice Makes Perfect 30 Pronunciation Tip: Ending: -ed 30 Chapter 3: Putting Your Speech Together 32 Preparing the Speech 33 Outlines 37 Transitions 42 Pronunciation Tip: Syllable Stress in Compound Nouns Chapter 4: Listening 50 Bad Listening Habits and Their Cures 51 Listening Exercises 56 Pronunciation Tip: [i] and [1] 62 48aE ee]70N"; UU Chapters: Speaking to Inform 64 Preparing for the Informative Speech 65 Outlining an Informative Speech 82 Informative Speech Preparation Worksheet 85 Pronunciation Tip: [9] and [4] 87 Chapter 6: Speaking to Persuade 89 Preparing for the Persuasive Speech 90 Outlining a Persuasive Speech 104 Persuasive Speech Preparation Worksheet 107 Pronunciation Tip: Stress in Noun/Verb Pairs 110 Chapter 7: Participating in Group Discussions 11 Path to Successful Problem Solving for Group Discussions 112 Path to Being an Effective Group Leader 116 Path to Being a Responsible Group Member 118 Group Discussion Worksheet 120 Group Leader Worksheet 122 Pronunciation Tip: Sentence Stress 123 Chapter 8: Understanding Interpersonal Communication — 125 Avoiding Miscommunications 126 Clarifying the Speaker's Intentions 128 Interpersonal Communication Styles 129 Direct and Indirect Communication Styles 133 Pronunciation Tip: (s], [1], and [@] 136 Chapter 9: Understanding Intercultural Communication 138 Ethnocentricity 140 Stereotypes 140 Cultural Differences in Communication 143 Nonverbal Communication 143 Pronunciation Tip: Contractions 147 | iv contentsChapter 10: Thinking on Your Feet 149 Preparing for the Impromptu Speech 151 Organizing the Impromptu Speech 152 Outlining the Impromptu Speech 153 Guidelines for Impromptu Speaking 155 Pronunciation Tip: [b], [v], and [w] 156 Chapter 1: Using Idioms and Proverbs 158 Idioms with Body Parts 159 Idioms with Foods 162 Idioms with Colors 164 Miscellaneous Idioms 165 Proverbs 168 Pronunciation Tip: Intonation 171 Chapter 12: Miscellaneous Speaking Activities 173 Symposium 174 Interpersonal/Intercultural Activity 175 Debate 176 Introductory Speech 179 Progressive Story 181 Personal Opinion Speech 182 Pronunciation Tip: (I] and [r] 184 Appendix 187 contents Vare For more than fifty collective years, the authors have been teaching speech communication classes composed of students from a wide variety of cultures. Many of their students are international students who have learned English as a second language. Most of the available texts that deal with speech communication and public speaking are written for American students and, thus, do not meet the particular speech communication needs of students with such eclectic backgrounds. Their teachers are not interested in discussing complicated communication theory and fancy terminology, such as “communication dyads,” “message channels,” or “transmitters.” They want practical material that is relevant to the backgrounds and experiences of their students—information that their students can apply in their everyday lives. Speech Comnumication Made Simple: A Multicultural Perspective is designed to meet the needs of speech communication students and their teachers around the world. It helps students to: * develop confidence when speaking before a group * improve their use of eye contact, posture, gestures, and voice © orally present information, ideas, and opinions in a coherent organized fashion * learn the basics of informative and persuasive speaking © listen critically and objectively * lead and participate in group discussions * improve their understanding of interpersonal and intercultural communication A glance at the table of contents reveals specific chapter titles and their contents. Chapter 1: Speaking to Develop Self-Confidence is designed to help students overcome their fears and succeed at public speaking. Chapter 2: Delivering Your Message is full of activities to help students improve their use of eye contact, posture, gestures, and voice so that they speak more effectively. Chapter 3: Putting Your Speech Together teaches students how to organize and outline their information for their speeches. Chapter 4: Listening includes both suggestions and exercises to improve listening skills. Chapter 5: Speaking to Inform gives step-by-step procedures for preparing a speech that presents new information in a comprehensible and memorable way. Chapter 6: Speaking to Persuade gives step-by-step procedures for preparing a speech that persuades others to change their beliefs, opinions, or behaviors.Chapter 7: Participating in Group Discussions teaches students how to lead as well as how to participate in a problem-solving group discussion. Chapter 8: Understanding Interpersonal Communication helps students avoid misunderstandings while enabling them to interact more effectively, Chapter 9: Understanding Intercultural Communication helps students understand and appreciate the diverse beliefs and customs of people from different backgrounds in order to communicate across cultures more effectively. Chapter 10: Thinking on Your Feet teaches students to organize their ideas quickly in order to give meaningful impromptu speeches. Chapter 11: Using Idioms and Proverbs helps students improve their ability to both understand and use idiomatic expressions. Chapter 12: Miscellaneous Speaking Activities contains a variety of fun and educational speech communication activities that challenge students to draw on the skills learned in previous chapters. Teachers know that a learning-by-doing approach is the best way to learn any skill. For this reason, in addition to guiding students through the principles of speech communication, Speech Communication Made Simple provides a variety of exercises, activities, and assignments. Traditional exercises (such as multiple- choice exercises), innovative activities (such as communicative discussions), and extensive assignments (such as actual presentations) help students improve their communication skills in different contexts. Evaluation forms in the Appendix suggest evaluation criteria for each presentation. In addition, tips at the end of each chapter help students improve their pronunciation and intonation. The companion audiocassette provides examples of standard pronunciation and intonation, as well as listening exercises and examples of student presentations. The supplementary Teacher's Manual follows the book chapter-by-chapter and provides information regarding specific assignments as well as a variety of hints about assigning, critiquing, and grading students’ speech assignments. It also provides quizzes, transcripts for the listening exercises, and answer keys The authors’ experience with thousands of students from around the world has shown that the key to lifelong feelings of confidence lies in the ability to communicate well. Developing clear and direct communication skills can lead to positive results when dealing with others, success at school and in business, and an enjoyable, rewarding life. Speech Communication Made Simple will enable students to become confident, effective communicators. PrefaceAcknowledgments ‘The authors wish to express their sincerest gratitude to the many people who assisted in developing this book: Professor Kathleen Watson of Miami Dade Community College for writing the extremely insightful chapter on understanding intercultural communication Professor Ellen Karsh of Florida International University for her constructive suggestions Professor David Gravel and our other colleagues who recommended valuable improvements ‘The anonymous reviewers who read the material and provided valuable feedback and suggestions for improvements Our students, for encouraging us and for giving us many practical suggestions to help us better meet their needs Our families and friends for their support and encouragement throughout the project AcknowledgmWhether you are from Miami or New York, New Delhi or Tokyo, Taiwan or Mexico City, you will find the study of speech communication to be one of the most exciting, challenging, and positive learning experiences you may ever have. ‘The study of speech communication, or rhetoric as it was called by the ancient Greeks, will engage you in one of the oldest academic subjects known. By studying speech communication, you are participating in an area that has been considered essential to the functioning of a democratic state and to the growth of the individual within society for over two thousand years. The study of speech communication will help you improve your knowledge, self-confidence, understanding of human nature, listening skills, critical-thinking skills, organization of thoughts, use of posture and voice, and your ability to give and accept constructive criticism. ‘Throughout your life, you will give many types of speeches. You will need to be able to organize your thoughts logically in order to persuade others to your way of thinking. Success in many careers, such as those in administration, ‘government, public relations, personnel, politics, education, sales, and private industry, depends on good speech communication skills. As you can see, the study of speech communication will be applicable throughout your lifetime. The more effort you put into the study of speech communication, the more you will benefit. Though you may be nervous about the idea of standing before an audience and making a speech, your fears will fade as you progress through this book. By the time you have finished, you will be proud of the progress you have made. You will have many chances to speak. Some of your speaking assignments will not be graded. These assignments will give you confidence and help you to improve future speeches. Your teacher will help you learn how to select topics, make them interesting to your audience, get over problem spots, and improve your speech communication skills. Daniel Webster, a famous American orator, once said, If all my talents and powers were to be taken from me by some inscrutable Providence, and I had my choice of keeping but one, T would unhesitatingly ask to be allowed to keep the Power of Speaking, for through it, I would quickly recover all the rest. Let's begin!Chapter 1 Speaking to Develop Self-Confidence He was overcome by stage fright! It is the beginning of the semester, and this speech class has just begun. It is natural to be nervous about speaking in front of people you've never met before. Relax—your classmates will soon become new friends and will no longer seem like strangers. This chapter is full of helpful suggestions for presentations. Believe it or not, you are already prepared to deliver many excellent speeches. Talking about yourself, your experiences, your opinions, and your concerns or fears is the best way to do this.You will overcome your speech fears more quickly if you have an opportunity to speak about a very familiar topic—yourself! For this reason, all the speeches in this chapter focus on you as individuals. Depending on your background and what is considered appropriate in your culture, you might be a bit reluctant to express your opinions, describe personal experiences, or share your feelings with the class. However, sharing information based on your experiences and feelings is highly appropriate in the United States and will help make your speech interesting and relevant to your listeners. bienera The best way for people to get to know each other in a class like this is to share autobiographical information. Your first assignment is to give a speech about yourself. Because you should be very natural and spontaneous as you speak, you will not be allowed to write your speech beforehand and read it to the class. Instead, you will choose one of the following two methods to prepare and present your speech: * Picture Story * Speech Preparation Worksheet METHOD A: Picture Story 2 Chaptert Ty to think of your speech as if it were a photo album, As your eyes move from picture to picture, you recall different events in your life. Pictures make it possible for you to talk comfortably and naturally in front of a group of people. By using simple pictures as your speaking “notes,” you will be able to remember what you want to say. You will be able to talk through your speech with your audience in a felaxed manner, needing only an occasional glance at your pictures to trigger your memory. Assignment ‘You can use a set of basic drawings to organize your thoughts. Draw four or five different sets of pictures that will remind you what to say about yourself, Draw a different picture for each piece of information you want to share with your audience. Don't worry if you are not an artist! Simple sketches or stick drawings are fine, as long as they represent what you want to say. You may want to use color in your drawings. Whatever works for you, do it. What is important is that your pictures help you to remember to tell your audience about yourself—your background, family, interests, hobbies, and future goals. You may have heard the expression "4 picture is worth a thousand words.” IF you use pictures, there will be no need to write a speech on paper—your pictures will be your notes!If you have access to a computer, you might enjoy using “clip art” (cartoons or pictures from the computer) instead of drawings. Select clip art that reminds you of what you want to say about yourself. Be sure to enlarge them enough so that your audience can see them easily. Example Pedro would like to mention that he came to the United States two years ago and lived in New York for one year before moving to Miami. He could draw: He could also select the following clip art: MOVERS | © o Example Stefan would like to talk about his hobbies, which include listening to music, reading books, sailing, and fishing, He could draw: i { le Speaking to DeveloyHe could also select the following clip art: Example Noriko would like to say that she is studying photography and hopes to be a famous underwater photographer some day. She could draw: So wv She could also select the following clip art: Q Oa METHOD B: Speech Preparation Worksheet You can use a worksheet with questions and answers to help you organize your thoughts. When you are delivering your speech, a quick look at the worksheet will remind you of what to say about yourself. 4° chapterAssignment Answer the questions on the Self-Introduction Speech Preparation Worksheet below as completely as possible. Include as many examples as you can. Note that these questions are meant to help guide you through your speech, not limit what you say. Try to think of other information about yourself that will interest your classmaies and help them learn more about you Self-Introduction Speech Preparation Worksheet What is your name? Where are you from? How long have you been in this country? Why did you come to this country? How many brothers or sisters do you have?” Who do you live with? What are you studying here?” What do you like to do in your free time? What hobbies or special interests do you have? What are your future plans and goals? How do you think you will benefit from taking this course? ‘TBe sure to say your name clearly. If it is unusual, spell it for the class. 2 Give names and 3 Speaking (o Develop Self-Confidence 5renee Everybody has had experiences that are unforgettable in some way. These experiences make wonderful speech topics. When you give a speech describing a personal experience, your challenge is to make the audience relive the experience with you. If you had a happy experience, you should make your listeners feel happy. If you had a sad experience, you should make them feel sad. If you had a scary experience, they should feel afraid. If you had a funny experience, they should laugh! Make your audience feel the way you felt! You can speak about an experience that was: embarrassing frightening funny interesting happy unique uncomfortable sad educational —_ exciting dangerous surprising Your goal is to speak naturally and to maintain eye contact with your listeners. As with your first speech, you cannot write it down and read it. However, you can write down your main ideas and present your speech from notes. ‘Two different personal experience speech assignments are described. One is for an experience you had as an adult, The other is for an experience you had as a child. Your assignment is to give a speech describing a personal experience. Whether you do Assignment A, Assignment B, or both, your task is to make the audience relive the experience with you. Assignment A: Experience as an Adult 1. Choose an experience that you have had as an adult. 2. Using the Personal Experience Speech Preparation Worksheet on page 11, prepare notes for a speech about this experience. Be sure to include all information that will help your audience relive this experience with you. 3. Your teacher may use the form on page 188 to evaluate your speech. Look it over so you know exactly how you will be evaluated. 4, Give a two to three minute speech about your experience. See page 7 for an example of a speech and page 8 for an example of a completed speech preparation worksheet.Q Example: Francisco's Speech INTRODUCTION Do you think its possible to have an experience that is dangerous, happy. sad. uncomfortable, and very scary at the same time? I had one, and fl rememberit for the rest of my hfe. Bopy I escaped from Cuba three years ago at the age of eighteen with my fifteen year-old brother Jose. My father wanted us (o lve ina free country. get a good education, and have many opportuinities. In Cuba, there was no hope for a good! future. My father put José and me on a raft in the middle of the night, Hie tole us that a city called Key West in the United States was only about ninety miles north of Cuba. Our trip from Havana to Key West took three clays. We were all alone without food or water: | thought we were going to starve, drown, or be eaten by sharks. | tried to comfort my brother José by telling him how much better our lives would be when we finally got to Miami. made myself feel better by thinking that we would go (o heaven and meet my parents there one day. By some miracle, the US. Coast Guard resctied us several miles from Key West. Relatives of ours in Miami were notified by the immigration authorities, ‘They picked us up in Key West and we went to live with them in Miami After two years, we saw our parents again. They finally escaped fram Cuba also. That was a very happy day for me, CONCLUSION Now that you know my experience, | thinkyou can understand why it was scary, sad, dangerous, uncomfortable, and finally; happy all at the same time, didiit know it then, buc it was also the most important personal experience of my life. I was Important because without that experience, I wouldiyt be here todayin a free and wonderful country talking to all of you. Thank you. Speaking to Develop Self-Confidence 78 Example: Francisco's Speech Preparation Worksheet onal Experien What type of experience was it? dangerous, scary, uncomfortable Where were you? beach in Cuba, middle of the night When were you there? B years ago, 1 years old Who was with you? brother José — 15 yrs. old What were you doing? father put us on raft Why were you there? escaping to freedom How were you feeling? alone, scared, uncomfortable Why did you feel that way? no food or water, afraid of starving, sharks What was your goal? arrive in Key West, freedom, opportunities How did you react? thought: of heaven and being safe there How did the story end? US. Coast Guard rescued us Why will you never forget this experience? Chapter I'm here today!Assignment B: Experience as a Child 1. Choose an experience that you had as a child. The experience can be good, bad, interesting, or funny. Possible topics include: The Time I Got Lost The Day I Played Hooky My Most Memorable Birthday The Day I Ran Away from Home My First Bicycle An Important Lesson I Learned A Terrible Lie I Told My First Pet My First Day at School My First Childhood Sweetheart 2. Using the Speech Preparation Worksheet on page 11, prepare notes for a speech about this experience. Be sure to include all information that will help your audience relive this experience with you. 3. Your teacher may use the form on page 188 to evaluate your speech. Look it over so you know exactly how you will be evaluated. 4. Give a two to three minute speech about your experience. Example: Leila’s Speech INTRODUCTION In my hands, Thave ajar of honey. Ifyou look closoly.you can see part of the honey beehive in the jar. You are probably wondering why | brought a jar of honey to show you today. Every time I see honey, it remincls me of ‘stinging’ experience Ihacl when { was in the sixth grade. Bopy Asa child I grew up on a farm not far from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. One warm summer day, my friend and | were walking home from school. We happened to see a beehive ina tree. We had just stuclied in school about bee colonies and how bees make honey. This was my big chance to show off to my ‘mother and father what I had Jearned in school. It looked easy! | found a stick about two meters long. | handed it to my friend andl told her to sneak up to the tree andl it the hive with the stick. said Twould wait until the bees came out and then | could grab the hive and run away with it soon learned a very important lesson. | Ieartied that things donit always work out the way you plan them. My friend pushed the hive down from the tree andl then ran at full speed up a nearby hill The bees clid not go after her, However, they were all over me instantly They stung my arms; they flew down my blouse and stung me. They flew up my skirCand stung me; they gotin my. hair and stung me. CONCLUSION That was the first andl last heehive that I have ever touichedl, Maybe now you can understand why thisjar of honey | brought to show you reminds me of avvery’stinging’ experience! Speaking to Develop Self-Confidence 9Activity What do you think the speaking notes that Leila used to make her speech looked like? Using her speech as a guide, complete the Personal Experience Speech Preparation Worksheet below. Leila's Experience Speech Preparat What type of experience was it? painful, unpleasant, scary Where were you? When were you there? Who was with you? What were you doing? Why were you there? | How were you feeling? Why did you feel that way? What was your goal? How did you react? How did the story end? Why will you never forget this experience? 10° chaptersUse the following worksheet to prepare your notes for your personal experience speech. Persor perienc peech Preparatio ‘What type of experience was it? Where were you? When were you there? Who was with you? What were you doing? ‘Why were you there? How were you feeling? Why did you feel that way? What was your goal? How did you react? | How did the story end? Why will you never forget this experience? Speaking to Develop Self-Confidence 11A Meaningful Obj Is there an object that has special meaning for you? It can be a painting, picture, piece of clothing or jewelry, or any other object. How would you describe it? Why does it have special meaning for you? The object you choose and how you describe it can give unique information about you. Your assignment is to bring a meaningful object to class and give a speech about it. Assignment 1, Choose an object that has special meaning for you. 2. Using the Meaningful Object Speech Preparation Worksheet on page 14, prepare notes for a speech about this object. Be sure to include all information that will help your audience understand why the object is meaningful to you. 3. Your teacher may use the form on page 189 to evaluate your speech. Look it over so you know exactly how you will be evaluated 4. Give a two to three minute speech about the object. QD Example: Henry's Speech INTRODUCTION In my hand [have an object in which spirits live! They float through bluish- green stone and live forever. Would you like to see the object in which spirits live? Ill now show i¢ to yout Bopy ‘This is a turquoise gemstone. It is from the southwestern United States. My father gave this to me for my sixth birthday. We were living on our hogan on the Navajo reservation. The stone is 170 years old. It an oval shape the size ofa nickel and weighs about two ounces. ‘This turquoise stone was first polished by my great-grandfather when he ‘was a young man in the summer of 1831, want you to know that turquotse Is a mineral of aluminum and copper; when itis polished, it becomes a brilliant bluish green gemstone. This turquoise has a very special meaning for me because it represents the Navajo way of life, For the Navajo, all things of our earth contain the spirits of all the life forms that have touched them. When | look at this stone, its spirits help my mind to see scenes from the past: my grandfather's mud hogan, the cedar-wood fires, our struggle for survival, the desert in the summer, desert flowers and cactus, the human spirit of the Navajo. All these things belong to me in the memory of this stone, CONCLUSION Iwanted to share this turquoise stone with all of you because we all need to realize that man must work with nature to change life forthe better. I thinkyou now understand why this magnificent object has special meaning for me. In this, gemstone, many wonderful memories and spirits from the past live again, 12 chaptersExample: Henry's Speech Preparation Worksheet ingful C ject Speec tation Work: (OBJECTIVE INFORMATION What is it turquoise gemstone How old is it? almost 170 years old Where is it from? southwestern U.S. ‘When did you get it? when | was 6 years old How did you get it? gift from my father Why did you get it? birthday present: What size is it? about the size of a nickel What shape is it? How much does it weigh? oval 2 ounces What is it made of? mineral of aluminum and copper ‘What features does it have? smooth, brilliant bluish green color Why does it have special meaning for you? Why do you feel strongly about it? INFORMAT ON representte Navajo way of life contains spirits of life forms reminds me of my ancestors’ past Why do you want to share it with the class? We all need to realize that man must. work with nature to change life for the better. Speaking to Develop Self-Confidence 13Use the following worksheet to prepare notes for your meaningful object speech. What is it? How old is it? Where is it from? When did you get it? How did you get it? | Why did you get it? What size is it? What shape is it? How much does it weigh? What is it made of? What features does it have? SUBJECTIVE INFORMATION Why does it have special meaning for you? Why do you feel strongly about it? Why do you want to share it with the class? 14 chaptertEverybody is afraid of something. Anyone who says “I'm not afraid of anything” is not telling the truth. Being able to talk about something you are afraid of and to share your feelings with the class is a good way to gain confidence when speaking before an audience. Also, you might be surprised to learn that others are afraid of the same thing as you! For example, many people are afraid of: flying in planes being in the dark public speaking going to a new country meeting new people ~ interviewing for a job snakes large dogs taking tests going to the hospital Your assignment is to give a speech describing a fear. Assignment 1. Choose a specific fear that you have. 2. Using the Specific Fear Speech Preparation Worksheet on page 16, prepare notes for a speech about this fear. Be sure to include all information that will help your audience understand your fear and the reasons for it. 3. Your teacher may use the form on page 188 to evaluate your speech. Look it over so you know exactly how you will be evaluated. 4. Give a two to three minute speech about your fear. Q Example: Humberto’s Speech INTRODUCTION The earth was far below us, The weather was very bad. | looked at the instrument panel of the plane and saw a red warning light flashing, The pilot was very nervous. At that moment, the engine of the plane became silent! BoDY ‘This happenedl to me last year when I was flying from Canctn to Cozumel in Yucatan, Mexico. will explain exactly what happened so you can understand why I now have a great fear of flying in small planes. Right after we took off from the airport in Canctin, the weather turned very bad. There was a lot of thunder and lightning. It was raining very hard. It ‘was impossible for the pilot to see out the windows of the plane.| was the only person in the plane with the pilot. After being in the air for fifteen minutes, the plane started to shake and make strange noises. All of a sudden, the engine Just stopped Speaking to Develop Self-ConfidenceWhen red warning lights started flashing. t became very afraid, | began to tremble and was soaked with sweat. I remember thinking that my life was about to end, | thought about how young I was and how I didnt want to die. All of a suclden, the engine started to work again. The pilot turned to me, smiled, and said, ’No te preocupest (That means ‘Dontworry:) My mother and father do not want me to fly in small planes ever again they say I should fly on the big artines or take a boat! I promised myself from now on, will do what they tell me. CONCLUSION dont think I will ever fly in a small plane again. 1 get upset every time | think about it.I know that Iwill never be able to overcome this fear Use the following worksheet to prepare notes for your specific fear speech, specific Fear Speech Preparation Worksheet What is the nature of the fear? 16 When did the fear develop? Where did it develop? Why did it develop? How do your friends and family react to your fear’ | How do you react when faced with this fear? | 2) | What have you done to try to overcome this fear? Chapter tPronunciation Tip FINAL CONSONANTS In English, most words end in consonant sounds. In many other languages, however, most words end in vowels. If you are not used to using final consonants in your native language, you might omit them at the ends of words in English. This can confuse your listeners, and they will have trouble understanding you. Pronounce final consonants carefully. (Although e may be the last letter in a word, it is usually silent; the last sound is actually a consonant.) Examples: made phone bite have Q) Exercise A The words in each of the following rows sound the same if their final consonant sounds are left off. Read each row aloud. Exaggerate your pronunciation of the final consonant in each word. 1. cat cap cab can calf 2. rack rat rap rags ran 3. soup soon suit sued Sue's 4. week weep wheat ~~ weed -—weave 5. robe rode = wrote. — rope _— roll \) Exercise B Read the following sentences aloud. Exaggerate your pronunciation of the final consonant in each boldfaced word 1. Have you had ham? 2, Llike bright light. 3. The sign is on the side. 4. Doug ate a well-done duck. 5. The bag on his back was black. Exercise C Choose any paragraph in this book. Circle all words that end in consonant sounds. Read the paragraph aloud. Be sure to pronounce all final consonant sounds Speaking to Develop Self-Confidence 1718 Chapter 2 Delivering Your Message Looking and acting confident must really work. They're actually paying attention to mel William Shakespeare wrote that all speakers give two speeches at the same time: the one that is heard and the one that is seen. Believe it or not, most people are frequently more influenced by what they see than what they hear. A professor at UCLA found that only seven percent of our credibility with listeners comes from the actual words we speak, while ninety-three percent of it comes from our vocal qualities and vistial characteristics. The presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960 are an excellent example of how facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and posture can either hurt or help speakers. These debates were the firstever to be televised. The people who heard them on the radio said that Nixon won the debates. However, the people who watched them on TV insisted that Kennedy won. Kennedy's body language made a more powerful impression on the viewers than anything the candidates were actually saying. What is body language? Body language means “posture, eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures.” Your body language, as well as your speech patterns, reflect how you feel about yourself. It also affects how others react to you. It can help you convey an aura of confidence, or it can make you appear uncertain before you even open your mouth, People will pay attention to you and your words if you look them in the eye, improve your posture and use of gestures, and use decisive-sounding speech patterns. This chapter will introduce you to techniques for delivering your message in both formal and informal speaking, Posture Tal Your posture tells how you feel about yourself, It can say, “I'm timid and afraid of my own shadow. Dont listen to me; just ignore me.” On the other hand, your posture can send the message, "Listen to me. I know what I'm talking about.” Looking down and refusing to face people directly gives the impression that you're ashamed or embarrassed. Cocking your head to the side, rounding your shoulders, dropping your chin, clutching your arms across your shoulders, wrapping your arms around your body, or clasping your hands tightly in front of you can also make you appear insecure or defeated. Observe the body language of the following individuals. Who looks the most confident? If you said Cheryl, you're right. What is it about Cheryl's posture that causes her to project courage and confidence? cheryl Delivering Your message 1920 When giving a speech, here are five ways you can radiate confidence and strength of character even before you open your mouth: * Keep your spine straight and rotate your shoulders back. © Keep your head erect. © Keep your hands at your sides with your fingers open or slightly curled. * Keep both feet flat on the floor and slightly apart. © If you are using a lectern, be careful not to bend over it or lean on it. Instead, stand naturally erect and gently rest your hands on the sides of the lectern. Here are three ways you can project confidence when sitting and listening: Sit straight while leaning forward slightly to show interest in the speaker. # Rest your hands lightly in your lap or on the arms of your chair. © Keep your legs together with your feet flat on the floor or crossed at the ankles. Improving your posture isn’t difficult. It’s as simple as doing what your mother probably used to tell you all the time: “Stand up straight,” “Stop slouching,” or “Sit up in your chair!” The old trick of walking around your house with a book on your head still works wonders. Remember, your speech starts before you even say one word! Your audience takes notice of you before you begin to speak. They watch you as you walk to the front of the room, They form an impression about your level of confidence, your ability, and your credibility during your short trip to the podium. Manolo Martin-Vasquez, a famous Spanish matador, said, “The most important lesson in courage is physical, not mental. From the age of twelve, I was taught to walk in a way that produces courage. The mental part comes later.” If you want to appear confident when you walk up to the podium, walk the walk of the matador! Activity In class, practice the walk of the matador. 1. Walk to the front of the classroom with your head up, your spine straight, and your shoulders back. 2. Spend a few moments standing at the lecturn looking directly at your audience. 3. Say “good morning" or “good afternoon.” 4, Walk back to your seat with your head up, your spine straight, and your shoulders back. Chapter?hem in the Eye Eye contact customs vary from culture to culture. In some eastern cultures, women are expected to lower their eyes in communication situations. In other cultures it is a sign of respect to lower one’s eyes when speaking to older people. In Japan, audiences look down in order to show respect for a speaker. ‘The speaker may acknowledge the audience's humility by looking down as well. Japanese school children are taught to look at their teacher's neck. As adults, they show respect by lowering their eyes when speaking to a superior. On the other hand, American children are taught just the opposite. Their parents and teachers often tell them, “Look at me when I'm speaking.” In some Latin American and African cultures, prolonged eye contact from a person of lower status is considered disrespectful. In Brazil, for example, the less powerful person generally glances away from the more important individual. In the United States making eye contact with your listeners is absolutely essential for becoming an effective communicator. Good eye contact is taken to mean that you are open and honest, while looking away is interpreted as an indication of insincerity or dishonesty. Looking your listeners directly in the eye can be more effective than the words you say. It encourages them to pay attention to you, to respond to you, and to respect you. When you avoid eye contact, people may get the impression that you are anxious, dishonest, embarrassed, or ashamed. The right amount of eye contact indicates that you have confidence in yourself and what you are saying. If you look at the floor or out the window, your listeners will think that you are not interested in your topic or in them! Good eye contact also allows you to “read” your listeners’ faces to get feedback on how they like your speech. Moreover, when you look directly at your listeners, their nods, gestures, and smiles let you know that they understand and are interested in what you're saying. If the thought of maintaining eye contact with one or more people seems disconcerting, remember that effective eye contact does not mean staring at a person. It means shifting your focus to and from a person’s eyes. Activity A With a conversation partner, take turns talking about any topic for two to three minutes. For example, you can talk about your weekend, your summer vacation, or a new pet. 1. Focus on your partner's left eye for four seconds. 2. Shift your focus to your partner's right eye for four seconds. 3. Look at your partner's entire face for four seconds. 4, Glance at your partner's nose for four seconds, chin for four seconds, and forehead for four seconds. 5, Repeat steps 1-4, Delivering Your Message 21Activity B Practice walking confidently to the front of the room and looking at your audience as you speak about any topic. 1. Walk the walk of the matador to the front of the room. 2. Greet your audience. 3. Speak about your topic for two to three minutes. As you speak, move your eyes from one section of the audience to another, Look at one person for four to five seconds, then another person for four to five seconds. 4, Thank your audience. Activity C In small groups, discuss the questions below. When you have finished, share your ideas with the class. 1, Asa child, what were you taught about eye contact? 2. How did you feel when participating in Activity A as the speaker: as the listener? 3. How did you feel when participating in Activity B as the speaker? as the listener? 4, What were your listeners’ reactions to your conscious efforts to maintain eye contact with them? Sees Facial expressions and gestures also vary greatly in different cultures. In some societies, speakers limit facial expressions and inhibit gestures. In others, gestures are used frequently. For example, in Japan, speakers rarely vary facial expressions or gestures. Brazilian and French speakers use gestures with greater frequency than North Americans, and Italian speakers tend to gesture more than other cultural groups. During a business presentation in Japan, a speaker who smiles or chuckles might convey confusion or embarrassment to his or her listeners. On the other hand, an American speaker might purposely laugh to express irony or humor. Speakers in the United States use a variety of gestures and facial expressions to help maintain the listeners’ interest in their message and to appear relaxed and in control 22) chapter2Facial Expressions Ifyou smile before you speak, you give your listeners the impression that you are confident and looking forward to speaking. Don't fake a big *politician-type” smile! A small, natural smile will be fine. A smile is a good way to establish rapport with your audience and to help put both you and your audience at ease. Other facial expressions can be used to convey different emotions. Try to change your facial expressions during your speech to convey the emotions that you feel Movement Listeners find it extremely distracting to watch speakers nervously twirl strands of hair with their fingers, fiddle with earrings, necklaces, or other items of jewelry, or constantly push slipping eyeglasses up on their noses, If you have long hair, tie it back during your presentation so you won't be tempted to play with it or to fling it away from your face. While speaking, don't hide your hands in your pockets and jingle your keys or loose change. Keep your hands at your sides. On the other hand, don’t stand “frozen” in one place for your entire speech. If you're nervous, take a few steps to your right or left while speaking. This will help you to relax and move naturally. Gestures Important points in your speech can be emphasized by using gestures— hand and arm movements. Here are some examples: Size: Show the width or height of an object by using your hands. Enthusiasm for an idea: Punch the air with your fist to show your enthusiasm for a new policy. Symbolic action: Wave your hand in greeting to show how you felt when you saw a long-lost friend. Location: Point your index finger to show a specific location on a map or use your hand in a sweeping motion to show a wider area. Activity Experiment with the following body language and facial expressions at home while looking at yourself in a full-length mirror. This practice will help you become aware of how you appear to others when you talk to them. Delivering Your Message 23rT... © BODY LANGUAGE Cover your mouth with your hand while speaking Sway back and forth on your feet Cross your arms in front of you. Wrap your arms around your body. Tilt your head. ‘Twirl a strand of hair around your finger Play with a button or an item of jewelry. Shake your head excessively while speaking. Cross your legs. Seenone wna 10. Look down at your feet. FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Look happy. Look worried. . Wrinkle your eyebrows. 1 2 3 4. Look interested. 5, Squint your eyes. 6. Bite your lip. 7. Lick your lips. 8. Look angry. 9, Look unhappy. 10. Look neutral. American audiences enjoy eye-catching, colorful visual aids. They relate well to product samples, charts, graphs, photographs, and working models of objects and equipment. ‘Any visual aids you use should portray Americans as being a diverse group. As long as you depict people of any age, gender, race, or religion favorably, almost anything goes. The sections entitled “Preparing Visual Aids” in Chapters 4 and 5 will help you to prepare and use visual aids that will make your information more interesting and easier to understand and remember. 24 chapter2This is a declarative sentence? The way some people speak, it may as well be! Your voice has a natural upward inflection when you ask a question, such as, “Would you like coffee?” If you use the upward inflection too much, you'll sound unsure of yourself and your listeners won't take you seriously. You'll sound like you're asking a question rather than making a statement. This is exactly what happened to Sally. Sally was twenty-eight years old and a new math teacher at a large junior high school. She had discipline problems with her students and was not as effective a teacher as she knew she could be. At lunch one day, she discussed her problem with Judd, the speech teacher. After observing her teach a lesson, Judd diagnosed the problem. Her classes frequently ignored her instructions because she always sounded like she was asking rather than telling her students to do assignments. “Do the exercises on page thirty-five for homework?” “Study your formulas for the quiz Tuesday Judd helped Sally get rid of her “up talk.” Once she learned to drop the pitch of her voice at the end of sentences, her students began to take her seriously. They realized that she meant what she said. People won't listen to you if your voice turns every sentence into a question. Why should they? Using an upward inflection at the end of your statements tells your listeners that you don’t know what you're talking about. After all, how much faith would you have in a doctor who says, “Your wrist isn't sprained? It's broken? I need to operate?” In written form, punctuation marks tell us whether a sentence is a question or a statement. Example: It's raining? Its raining. In speaking, upward intonation generally signals a question and downward intonation generally signals a statement. Activity Practice saying the following pairs of sentences aloud. Use downward intonation for the sentences that end with exclamation marks. Use upward intonation for those that end with question marks. Notice how downward intonation makes you sound certain, while upward intonation makes you sound doubtful. 1. a) We need a better cafeteria! b) We need a better cafeteria? 2. a) I'm going to get an “A” in this class! b) I'm going to get an “A” in this class? Delivering Your Message 25aT...” 3. a) I deserve a raise! b) T deserve a raise? 4. a) I'ma good student! b) I'ma good student? 5. a) I worked hard on the project! b) I worked hard on the project? 6. a) Susana is my best friend! b) Susana is my best friend? 7. a) Rafael doesn't like pizza! b) Rafael doesn't like pizza? 8. a) We saw Avi's new car! b) We saw Avi's new car? Discard ‘Too many speakers use disclaimers or apologies for their comments before they even begin their speeches. Disclaimers are remarks that weaken or diminish the impact of what the speaker is about to say, Likewise, when the speaker apologizes for a speech beforehand, he or she makes an admission that it is less than perfect before the members of the audience have the chance to judge the speech for themselves. They can kill good ideas before they're even born. Tn some cultures, beginning a presentation with an apology is a sign of humility. Japanese speakers, for example, frequently begin with an apology before expressing their ideas. They tend to belittle themselves, their products, their companies, and their accomplishments as being humble and barely significant. In the United States, speakers who use disclaimers and apologies when they speak sound unsure of themselves. Don't begin your speech by saying, “(im sorry I didn't have more time to prepare,” or “I'm not an expert on this topic.” Comments like these reduce your credibility and diminish the value of your opinions and feelings. Avoid these types of remarks. Deliver your message without either first apologizing or first disclaiming your words. Silence Is Golden Expressions and noises such as “You know?” “You know what I mean?” “Um!” “Er!” “Uh!” are called “vocal fillers.” They distract from the speaker's message and signal that he or she is uneasy. They cause the speaker to appear even more nervous than he or she really is. 26 chapter?Assertive, confident speakers know the importance of deliberate silences when they speak. Speakers who use well-placed pauses and avoid vocal fillers are regarded as being more confident and knowledgeable than speakers who don't. For some reason, many people are uneasy with silence and feel that every second needs to be filled with sound. However, silence can be golden. You can use a moment of silence to think about what you want to say next or to recollect your ideas if you temporarily forget what you want to say. Silences or pauses between your comments also give your listeners time to consider what you've just said. In Speak With Power and Grace, speech expert Linda D. Swink writes, “I firmly believe the first two words in the English language are, ‘Well, ah!’ Watch any TV news program or game show when the reporter or host asks a question. You'll notice the person responding will begin by saying, ‘Well, ah’ And the ahs don't stop there; they are peppered throughout our speech unknowingly, Filler words are distracting, annoying, and unprofessional.” Don't fill every pause with unnecessary vocal fillers. Learn to feel comfortable with silences between your thoughts and ideas. Activity A Practice tape-recording and listening to your conversations at home. 1. Tape-record yourself while having conversations in as many situations as possible. 2. Listen to the recording. Analyze how you sound. Become aware of any distracting vocal habits (e.g., up talk, disclaimers, or vocal fillers). 4. Be prepared to discuss your observations in class. Activity B Practice giving an impromptu (unprepared) speech in front of the class. 1. Go to the front of the class 2. You will be assigned a simple topic, such as one of the following: apples pens chairs rocks trees dogs bicycles rain eyes teeth 3. Without preparing, speak about the topic for sixty seconds. Concentrate on speaking fluently and avoiding pauses, hesitations, and other vocal fillers. Don't worry about organization, DelActivity € At home, practice tape-recording and listening to yourself giving a short speech. 1, Choose a topic from Activity B on page 27 or your own topic. 2. Tape-record yourself while speaking fluently about the topic for at least sixty seconds. Listen to the recording. 4, Analyze how you sound. Become aware of any distracting vocal habits (e.g,, up talk, disclaimers, or vocal fillers). Write for the Ear The speech delivery style of Europeans and Asians tends to be very formal. Speakers of these cultures often read oral presentations from carefully written manuscripts. On the other hand, American speakers are generally more informal relative to speakers in other cultures. American audiences prefer a natural, spontaneous delivery that conveys a lively sense of communication, They don't relate well to speakers who read from a manuscript. If you use an outline of your ideas instead of a prepared text, your speech will not only sound more natural, but you will also be able to establish better rapport with your listeners and keep their attention. For specific information about how to organize and outline your speech, see Chapter 3: Putting Your Speech Together. In addition, example speech outlines are presented throughout this book. The language and style you use when making an oral presentation should not be the same as the Janguage and style you use when writing. Well-written information that is meant to be-read does not work as well when it is heard. It is therefore important for you to adapt written texts or outlines for presentations. For example, I once heard a speaker say, “Several examples of what is described above are listed below." I wanted to scream, “Above what? Above your head? Listed where? Below what? Below your feet? I'm not reading your information! I'm listening to it!" It would have been much more effective for the speaker to say, "I will now give you several examples of what I just described.” Good speakers are much more informal when speaking than when writing. They also use their own words and develop their own speaking styles. Whenever possible, they use short words. Listeners appreciate it when speakers use simple, everyday words in a presentation. One advantage is that it is much easier for speakers to pronounce short words correctly. Another is that long and sophisticated vocabulary choices make listening more difficult. For example, which would you rather hear? 28 chapter 2